The cult sci-fi show, watched by eight million fans in its 90s heyday, is back with a three-part series.

Charles, 44, who plays human survivor Dave Lister, said: "The show is called Back to Earth and it is about Lister and Rimmer and Kryten and Cat finding their way back to the planet in the early 21st century.

"The first week of filming was quite gruelling. We did a lot of flying on wires "A lot of the time these days they get a stuntman in but I like crashing through windows and banging into walls."

The new series, also starring Chris Barrie, starts on April 10 on channel Dave.